There’s a monster in my playground.

From the sky above, the bird’s eye view of Citizen Square in Shenzhen, China shows two huge red monster footprints. At ground level, the monster footprints make for a unique play space.

Designed by MAD Architects, the Monster’s Footprint attempts to create a ‘surreal reality’ in a public space. Made from EPDM (that soft-fall coloured rubber seen in lots of playgrounds), the footprint rises and falls in soft curves.

I really like the fact that this is a ‘playground’ without equipment and that it is essentially a ground level or sunken space leaving lots of possibilities for big imaginations.

Katrina Whelen

Katrina studied planning and design, did the hard yards working in a big office building and then traded it all in for a relaxing (!) life at home with four children. She now fills her time with writing, completing a degree in genetics and taxiing her children around Melbourne to their various sporting commitments (not necessarily in that order).